General news.
a meeting in Lynchburg to Checkmate Salt extortioners.
The Lynchburg
Virginian has the following announcement of a public meeting to be held in that city, to take into consideration the best means of resisting the exorbitant prices asked for salt:
‘
It is proposed to hold a public meeting, at Dudley Hall, this afternoon, at 4 o'clock, for the purpose of organizing an association to checkmate the salt extortioners.
The plan is to raise a fund, to purchase weekly, at the salt works in
Washington county, a quantity of salt, to be supplied to the citizens of
Lynchburg and the farmers round-about, in such quantities as may be needed, at first cost and charges of transportation.
Salt can be had at the works for seventy-five cents a bushel, beyond which, we are informed, it is the settled purpose of the manufacturers not to advance.
If this scheme can be carried into effect-- and we see nothing to prevent it — it will leave the speculators high and dry, and we shall see some of their hoarded treasure coming up from the ‘"vasty deep"’ of their cellars to be thrown on the market at reasonable prices.
The same gentlemen who ‘"have no salt in market"’ now, will find their occupation gone.
Let there be a full meeting, that public judgment may be invoked upon extortioners generally, and salt extortioners in particular.
It will have a wholesome effect; and, as storms purify the atmosphere, a little storming by the citizens
en masse, may give us a purer atmosphere than that which has bred the contagion of extortion in this community for weeks past.
Come out, people of
Lynchburg, and, let your voice be for war!
War upon the
Northern enemy, and war upon all those practices by our own citizens which tend to paralyze the energies of the people in the terrible struggle that is upon them.
You can create a public sentiment in your midst that the sordid and soulless speculator dare not disregard.
Come, and speak out like men. Better act now, when the evil may be corrected in the outset, than permit it to assume such proportions as may provoke a more terrible remedy.
Public opinion is omnipotent; let us give it a voice to-day whose echoes may long ring in the ears of the men who have no God but Mammon, and are as destitute of patriotism and humanity as an Egyptian mummy.
’
An improved battering ram.
The New Orleans
Commercial Bulletin has seen the drawings of an improved battering ram, invented by a gentleman of that city well known in connection with dredging, machinery, boats, &c., which appears to possess singular advantages.
It combines the powers and valuable properties of Winan's cigar steamer with those of the
Manassas and other infernal machines.
One of them may be constructed in a comparatively short period, with the requisite system and energy, and at a cost of not over $50,000. Nothing could withstand its power, and its inventor is confident that with five of these singular vessels the blockade of all the important ports of the Southern confederacy, could be destroyed, and kept destroyed, and the ports kept open to the commerce of friendly nations.
It can steam through the waves of the
Gulf or the
Atlantic with the ease of a fish, and with a speed unknown to
Lincoln's men-of-war.
A noble old lady.
We clip the following paragraph from the Charleston
Courier, of the 9th:
‘
On Friday an old lady, a native of
Maryland, in reduced circumstances, stepped into the office of the Southern Express, and, with tears in her eyes and a quivering voice, handed the agent twelve pairs of socks and four pairs of mitts.
She expressed her regret that she had no money to contribute, but in place of money she had made these articles to evince her love for the noble volunteers of her State, who are aiding the
South in achieving her independence.
’
Another.
The following letter, says the Charleston
Courier, which accompanied a bundle of socks for the gallant sons of
Maryland who are fighting for the
South on the soil of the Old Dominion, is from the lady whose munificent contribution to these noble soldiers we acknowledged some days since:
In this bundle you will please find eighteen pair of socks for the Maryland Guard.
They are the gift of a descendant of one of the two hundred gentlemen who, with Lord Baltimore, settled
Maryland.
The generous heart of the patriotic donor of the above mentioned would fain have done much more, but those who know how much has been done by her husband and herself for the company of Georgia Volunteers that are more particularly their care, will only wonder that they could do so much.
In the same hope that our brave Marylanders will have every want supplied, and will be suffered to need nothing more till our beloved
Maryland is freed from the grasp of the oppressor,
I am, truly and respectfully,
Philoeda Edgeworth Eve.
Worthy of Imitation.
The
Central Georgian, published at
Sandersville, Ga., records the following instance of disinterested patriotism.
If all merchants were like him, our people would not feel these hard times as they do:
‘
A few days ago a speculator in salt, of whom we have heard in several localities, visited
Louisville, Ga., called on an old and well-known merchant of that place for the purpose of purchasing all the salt he had on hand.
Not doubting but that
Mr. B. would readily sell at the enormous price others were taking, (of course one man has as good a right to speculate on the necessities of the people as another,) the speculator asked at what price the salt could be had. "Our customers, sir, can have it at $5 per sack.
You can have it at $25 per sack.
’
Merchants Deserting Savannah.
The Savannah
Republican of the 9th inst., records the following instance of the existence in that community of men whom it would be better for the credit of every community in the
South if they had never come among us. The comments of the
Republican are just, and, if anything, too mild:
‘
A number of merchants, chiefly small dealers in the neighborhood of Market Square, were engaged the whole of yesterday in packing up their effects with the intention of shipping them and themselves beyond the reach of danger.
Our city authorities took the matter in hand, and laid an embargo on the export.
This was entirely right, and we hope
Gen. Lawton will issue an order for preventing any able-bodied man under sixty years of age, from leaving the city.
This cowardly desertion of us when the city for the first time calls for their services, is disgraceful, and should not be allowed.
If necessary we would establish a line of pickets around the town to keep them in. We are very sure no Georgian will need such compulsion to duty.
’
Savannah Alive.
The Savannah
Republican, of the 9th, says:
‘
Our city was in a state of intense excitement throughout the whole of yesterday.
The news of the capture of the
Walker battery, on
Hilton Head, and the arrival of our retreating troops, and among them many of the wounded, aroused the intensest feeling.
Everybody was in the street, and large crowds collected around the news and telegraphic offices throughout the day and until late at night.--Families commenced packing up, and large numbers of females and children were sent from the city by the night train to the up-country.
The efflux will probably continue, and upon the whole, we think it best that this portion of our population should not be present to embarrass our defensive preparations.
’
Left without his pass.
Old Jacob Barker, the venerable New Orleans banker, some time detained in New York by the illness and death of his wife, got back home last Friday.
He was long detained in
Washington endeavoring to get a pass, having interviews with Abe, the Gorilla;
Seward, the Raven; and Feathers
Scott.
Unable, finally, to obtain his ticket of leave, he left without it, slipped down the
Maryland shore, hired a row-boat and crossed the
Potomac.
Hessians on the Rappahannock.
From the Norfolk
Day Book, of yesterday, we clip the following:
‘
Owners of slaves along the
Rappahannock River, are loosing large numbers of them.
For several weeks past boats from the blockading vessels have been sent ashore and carried off between 150 and 200 valuable negroes.--The Lancaster Cavalry having returned from the
Essex side of the
River with some cannon found a tug committing deeds of villainy up a small creek, and fired several shots into her. She withdrew considerably injured.
The shores of the
Rappahannock are poorly protected and much valuable property is exposed to the marauders.
’
Breaking the blockade.
The
Natchez (Miss.) Courier says that a private dispatch has been received in that place from a merchant in New Orleans, to the effect that a French agent was in New Orleans buying cotton, who stated that the blockade would certainly be raised in less than sixty days.
Seizure of Salt.
Gov. Moore, of
Alabama, seized, on Friday last, 400 sacks of salt, at the
Montgomery and West Point depot, that were being transported from
Montgomery, to avoid the enforcement of the bill against the exportation of this necessary article, which had just passed both Houses of the Legislature of
Alabama.
The right spirit.
The
Marion (Ala.) Commonwealth says: ‘
A quantity of property, consisting of
real estate, mules, and negroes, was offered for sale by the
Sheriff, under execution, in this place on yesterday, and though there were present a considerable number of the moneyed men of the county, yet so great and well founded is the opposition of the people to the policy of forcing property to sale under execution for debt that not a single bid was made upon it.
’
Patriotic.
The Charleston
Mercury, of the 9th instant, records the following instance of the patriotic promptitude with which the citizens of
Charleston responded to the demands of their country:
‘
Captain Hudson Lee,
Assistant Quartermaster at this place, yesterday made a call upon the citizens for a large number of horses, for transportation purposes.
We understand that the request was quickly complied with, and that even a larger number were offered than can be immediately used.
’
Rumors were rife on the streets yesterday, says the Knoxville
Register of the 5th, that the enemy were in considerable force at the State line, moving in this direction through
Big Creek Gap.
We learn from a reliable source that our cavalry scouts were, day before yesterday, thirty miles beyond the
Kentucky line, and that only squads of the enemy (and these were driven in) were seen upon the road ascending the other side of the mountain.
Large shipment of wool.
Gen. Jas. A. Mabry, of
Knoxville, Tennessee, has received a dispatch from an agent he has in
Texas, to the effect that he has purchased for him 100,000 pounds of wool.
It is the intention of the
General to have this wool converted into cassimere, making more than 100,000 yards. All of this, he intends to have manufactured into clothing at
Knoxville.
To be Disbanded.
The Nashville
Union says reliable information has reached it that on the 4th inst.
Gen. Johnston issued orders to disband the
Tennessee troops now organizing under the recent call of the
Governor of
Tennessee.
The only intelligent explanation for this step is the want of arms to place in their hands.
